Salmonella outbreak in chicken shows resistance to antibiotics

Salmonella outbreak in chicken shows resistance to antibiotics
A salmonella outbreak in Foster Farms chicken contains several antibiotic-resistant strains that may explain an unusually high rate of hospitalization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that some salmonella strains found in the outbreak were resistant to one or more drugs -- and that 42% of those sickened have been hospitalized.

Fukushima radiation levels hit 2-year high
Seawater just outside one of Japan’s damaged Fukushima Daiichi reactors registered radiation levels on Wednesday 13 times the previous day’s reading, the operator of the crippled nuclear plant said on Thursday. Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), said combined Cesium-134 and Cesium-137 readings just outside the damaged No. 2 reactor jumped to 1,200 becquerels per liter on Wednesday, the highest levels recorded since late 2011.

Hajj pilgrimage starts in Saudi Arabia amid fears of MERS outbreak
Some two million Muslims poured out of the holy city of Mecca under the supervision of 100,000 troops deployed to ensure the safety of the pilgrims. Abdullah Al-Rabi, the Saudi Health Minister, said no cases had been detected among the pilgrims. The MERS virus has killed 60 people worldwide, 51 of them in Saudi Arabia.